Crystal River current., 1887-03-26
To Fast Fifty Days.

The medical committee appointed
to watch over stefano Merlatti, the
new tasting man, during the fifty days
he intends to remain without food,
met recently at the Voltaire Of
fices.' They had previously examined
Merlatti, and found him to be sound
and in perfect health, and decided to
let him enter upon his fast without
delay. He took his last meal on Tues
day night before midnight, and trusts
to be able to hold out until December
Is at midnight. Will Succi give up
his visit to Paris? Merlatti, according
to his previous story, is likely to ut
terly outdo the Milanese faster The
new hero of theday processes great dis
dam for Succi, and speaks OF the secret
of the liquor in the most contemptu-
GUS terms. He is staying at the Hotel
des Etrangers, in the Rue Tronchet,
near the Madeleine, where I have had
an interview with him. Stefano Mer-
latti is a young man of twenty-five
years of age, or thereabouts. He is
short and perhaps on the whole slen-
der, but well knit and healthy look
ing. He has a swarthy complexion,
jet black hair, glistening eyes, ,protrud-
ing cheek bones and prominent Jaws.
His physiognomy shows much self
possession, and is extremely mobile.
Merlatti, who is an artist, has just
come from an eight months stay IN
Italy. He began to train himself in
fasting at the age of eleven. One day,
after a severe flogging from the priest
who.kept the village school. he ran
away, but fearing his father's anger, he
wandered through the country for
eleven days. All that time he felt no
need for food, but passed the
days birdnesting and playing
with the shepherd boys, and only
now and then drank some water to
quench his thirst. His capture by
his parents put an end to this singular
mode of living. He had become thin,
but was not otherwise Inconvenience.
Since then, when he was minded, he
remained without food for week or
ten. days, but he never trained HIM
self regularly before entering Turin
academy OF fine arts. There, at the
suggestion of his feilow-students, he
underwent a long preparatory course
OF fasting. He was able to do with
out food for eighteen days, during
which he regularly attended lectures
and pastimes; but his best perform
ance. he says, was Ill London, where
for q small wager with a brother art
ist he undertook to remain thirty
six days fasting This feat took
place last year, but was kept private.
During this fast he lost twenty-five
pounds OF flesh, being in other respects
in sound condition. As regards his
new attempt, he told ME that he
would not lay down his paint brush.
He would walk out as u.s.
ual, go to the theatre, re-
ceive friends and smoke cigarettes
with them. His moral and nervous
energies would, he was confident. re-
main unimpaired. About the fifth
week he might possibly be liable to
moods of detection and an all but ire
slstible desire to eat at dinner time.
The action OF the heart should be
watched by the doctors, as it will to-
ward the end become sluggish. Mer-
latti, who weighs about 100 pounds,
reckons that he will lose in flesh about
thirty pounds. The doctors say he
might bear q loss of fifty pounds.
Hence he thinks he might protract
the fast for twenty days, taking moth
ing but pure or mineral water.
Throughout this experiment he will be
in charge OF eight doctors. Every
morning he will be weighed. His mus
cular strength will be tested by dy-
namometer. The water he drinks will
be measured. In fact, everything that
scientific ingenuity can devise will be
used to ascertain the phases ofhis fast
Merlatti is allowed to remain in his
own room under the eye of one OF the
eight members of the committee of
surveillance. This arrangement ap-
pears to me unsatisfactory, inasmuch
as it relies exclusively upon Merlatti
and his warder. asked him whether
he had made any bets on his success.
He said he had not. He simply wished
to show what extraordinary powers a
trained stomach could acquire. He
did not want any money. / asked
him whether he contemplated repeat-
ing his experiment in London. He
couiu uoU say. All woulu depend on
the issue OF this experiment and the
advice OF the committee. only give
this conversation as an instance of
Merlatti's wonderful buoyancy of
spirits. We might have long continu-
ed chatting in tlIe same strain, only a
member OF the committee of surveil.
lance came in to relieve the outgoing
doctor. So took my leave, Merlatti
accompanying me to the door.